Entomologists and vector control specialists are key players in the fight against malaria. Ensuring national malaria elimination plans have a robust vector control plan, with the right people to implement it, could not be understated. Yet specific knowledge and skills are required to effectively design and implement it.  

At the 2021 Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN) Vector Control Working Group (VCWG) Annual Conference, country partners shared their priorities for capacity building and training topics and among the most important is Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques and mapping. 

As a response to this, APMEN VCWG organized the “Online Course on GIS in Malaria Vector Surveillance” activity to continue to strengthen the vector surveillance capacity within Asia Pacific region. Vector surveillance is critically important to guide vector control interventions and includes many activities such as adult and larval mosquito collections, mosquito identification, and others. For this specific course, the key focus was Geographic Information System (GIS) that enable mapping, stratification and visualization of key entomological data to assist in planning of vector control interventions. 

From 16-20 August, APMEN VCWG and Mahidol University led the training funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The course instructor, Mr. Irwin F. Chavez, is currently employed as a Foreign Expert at the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Thailand with many years of experience in teaching and implementing GIS techniques. 

Twenty entomologists and vector control specialists with varying degree of familiarity with GIS techniques participated in the virtual yet immersive training. The GIS training, normally be delivered in computer labs hands,  was achieved virtually with the adequate participation, practice, and interaction between trainer and participants. It is the start of series of training and capacity building activities under the theme of “Vector Surveillance”. 

• “This course was very relevant to me, instructor made clear all the concepts of topics covered” Chogyal Namgyel from Bhutan 

• “Fantastic course, informative, well designed, clearly describes all the topics, the way of teaching is excellent, and participants were from different countries” Mehedi Anam from Bangladesh 

• “The course was important for us we can use it in the Entomology surveillance” Noor Halim Zahid Safi from Afghanistan 

Despite the pandemic, APMEN VCWG is pivoting to ensure continuity of information exchange, peer-to-peer learning, capacity building by leveraging technology and innovative solutions.  

For more information follow APMEN’s Twitter, Facebook and ORENE website to get update on future training opportunities. If you have any feedback, please write to (l.braack@malariaconsortium.org).

Training Report